This invention relates generally to record operated control systems and more particularly to a card-operated control system for a vending machine.
It will be understood in the following descriptions that references to "card" or to "card"-responsive apparatus is to be taken as equally applicable to any record-carrying medium. Moreover, while the present discussion will be facilitated by reference to a vending machine, it will be understood that other like-operated systems are also intended to be embraced by this term. Additionally, the term "vending machine" is to be taken to refer not only to machines which dispense food or drink items, cigarettes, etc., in response to deposit of sufficient money or monetary substitutes, but also to such similar mechanisms as a transit ticket dispensing system, a "coin-operated" phonograph or "jukebox" and other like apparatus.
Vending apparatus of the types discussed above are generally well-known. However, in most vending apparatus, the operation is generally limited to a single operation or dispensing of an article for a single deposit of sufficient coins or other monetary substitutes, such as tokens, etc., whereupon the operating cycle is complete. That is to say, systems heretofore known have generally not been adapted to performing a number of separate vending or article dispensing operations in response to a single deposit of money or money substitute providing sufficient credit for a plurality of such operations.
Further in this regard, vending and like apparatus heretofore known have generally not been adapted for operation with a credit card type of credit medium. In the system of the present invention, such a card can be readily presented to the machine, verified, and used to provide the credit necessary for the number of vending operations or articles desired to be dispensed. Moreover, such vending machines have not heretofore been usable with a credit card type of medium bearing a preselected credit amount thereon, whereby the amount of credit necessary for the desired purchase or vending operation may be cancelled from the card before the completion of the vending operation or purchase.
One problem encountered in providing a credit card type credit medium for vending purposes is that of preventing fraudulent use thereof. For example, it is important that the credit card medium carry sufficient data, and that the vending machine be capable of recognizing such data, to verify that the card is valid for the purchase desired. Further in this regard, such a system must be capable of cancelling the appropriate amount of credit from the card before completing the vending operation, so that the card may not be removed prior to completion to avoid the proper credit cancellation and thereby defraud the system. While various locking devices may be utilized to prevent removal of the card prior to the completion of the vending operation, such devices add expense and complexity to the system. Moreover, such locking devices generally require removal and re-insertion of the credit card medium for each vend operation desired, and hence do not permit the convenience of continued selection and vending operations for so long as the card remains inserted and sufficient credit remains available on the card.
Since many types of vending and like machines are currently in operation in the field, it would also be desirable to provide a card operated control unit which is readily adaptable for use with any of these vending machines, without requiring substantial modification thereto.